Boeing 787 tour comes to Phoenix

By Bob McClay/KTAR | March 12, 2012 at 7:45 amUPDATED: June 4, 2012 at 2:43 pm

Phoenix – One of Boeing’s huge planes is sitting on the
tarmac at Sky Harbor Airport.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner touched down Friday on a flight
from Mexico City. It’s on a world tour and is making a
three-day stop in Phoenix to give Honeywell Aerospace
employees a chance to check it out. Honeywell provided 12
of the plane’s technology systems.

The 787 has a smooth ride. It’s equipped with LED
lighting, more headroom under the overhead compartments
and bigger windows. Boeing said it’s one of its most fuel
efficient jetliners and uses 20 percent less fuel than the
Boeing 767.

Boeing’s George Maffeo said one thing passengers will
notice is more room.

“There’s no other commercial airplane in service that you
can do that,” said Maffeo of the available space and
headroom for taller passengers.

The windows are much improved over older Boeing models.

“They’re 30 percent larger than any window on a commercial
airplane, so they give you a lot more visual light from
the outside,” said Maffeo. “They also have an electronic
dimming feature, so you just push a button and it just
changes the dimming.”

The planes will be able to seat up to 290 passengers. A
check of the cockpit shows state-of-the-art equipment,
including a television screen that shows who is standing
on the other side of the cockpit door. There is also a
crew lounge in the back with three beds for crew members
to rest during long flights.

Japan’s All Nippon airways currently uses the wide body
plane on commercial flights. United Airlines is expected
to take delivery on 787s later this year.